The FA 'Football Needs You'

Published on behalf of the FA. No money was taken by Vital Football to promote this campaign:

The Football Association is telling the nation`s workforce that 'Football Needs You` as part of a new campaign to inspire mechanics, teachers, accountants, DJs and everyone who loves football to take their first steps to becoming a grassroots coach or referee. The ambitious target for the inspirational new Football Needs` campaign is to encourage 50,000 new Level I coaches by 2011 and 8,000 new referees by 2012.

The 'Football Needs` nationwide advertising campaign features Jaz Dhami, a Punjabi singer, headteacher Manisha Tailor and air steward David Green, all of whom retain their passion for coaching and refereeing while juggling their busy professional careers.

Singer Jaz Dhami commented: 'After spending time away from football to pursue my music career I returned to England and wanted to give something back to my local community. By getting into coaching I`m sharing my passion for the game and providing young Asians with a pathway into football.'

In a bid to get people to stay in the game England Coach Stuart Pearce has also joined the grassroots heroes in his own unique advert and cameo role in The FA`s new 'Football Needs` short film. The film takes a light-hearted look at the unassuming characters at the forefront of the grassroots coaching scene who appear in a 'Never Mind the Buzzocks` style spoof. In a first for The Football Association the film will be aired in 220 cinemas across the country throughout October reaching an estimated audience of one million viewers.

Stuart Pearce, England coach and U21 manager, said: 'The really rewarding thing about being a coach is watching that improvement in players, coaching them during the week and seeing them put the skills they have learnt into practise during a game on any given Saturday. I would encourage anyone with a passion for football to discover how rewarding coaching can be.'

Supporting The FA`s 'Football Needs` campaign Premier League and 2010 FA Cup Final referee Chris Foy is excited by the unveiling of The FA`s first ever advertising creative focused on encouraging those who enjoy the game to get into refereeing.

He said: 'Having joined the police force at 21 refereeing provided me with a great opportunity to stay in the game that I love while at the same time pursuing my professional career. It doesn`t matter if you`re refereeing at Old Trafford, Anfield or Stamford Bridge the same fundamentals and enjoyment of refereeing apply whatever the level.'

Julian Eccles, Group Director of Marketing & Communications, The Football Association, added: 'This campaign is the first of a series The FA will be running during the season. Using a variety of techniques - from cinema and print to online - we want to reach new audiences to encourage them to get into football.'

The FA`s 'Football Needs` campaign forms part of the National Game strategy, a £200m pound investment in grassroots football. The Get Into Coaching objectives are supported by McDonalds and the Get Into Refereeing campaign runs in association with Carlsberg.

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Your Comments (oldest first)

A friend of mine was punched in the face by an irate parent as he tried to officiate. It is rewarding working with young people, but the general culture of aggro, ignorance and win at all costs makes taking on a position of responsibility in the game 'challenging' to say the least. Dealing with the pathetic 'Health and Safety' culture is a real pain as well.

You're right about the culture of the parents in the game Tony - when I was running an under-16s side there were two occasions where where my players were assaulted by an opposition dad, and numerous others (at all age levels) where parents had caused trouble - the sideline politics are the worst part of getting involved at grassroots level. BUT it is worth every minute, every bit of paperwork and FA course, all those freezing mornings and weeks of preparation just to see those 11 kids out there really enjoying what they're doing and giving them something to look forward to thats helping keep them on the right road in life. The joy and sense of achievement at seeing your team score a last minute winner and celebrating a 2-1 win over their local rivals in the semi-final of a cup is worth millions! :) Anyone out there that wants to get involved - DO! Don't let the few mindless idiots put you off.

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